Halcyon
by Zelha
Summary: KakaSaku AR. Same themes. They knew rebuilding the village wasn’t an easy task. However, for Kakashi and Sakura, this brought new thoughts and feelings to their minds. Let’s see how they find their place in this new world. Manga spoilers like whoa.
1. Theme 1

**Summary:** KakaSaku AR. Following the same themes as the other collections; they knew rebuilding the village wasn't an easy task. However, for Kakashi and Sakura, this brought new thoughts and feelings to their minds. Let's see how they find their place in this new world. Manga spoilers like whoa, seriously.

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Alright! I finally kicked myself into gear and decided to tackle this collection. I'm pretty nervous, you see, because KakaSaku is my first OTP and I'm afraid I'll ruin it. XD Here's hoping I can pull this off nicely enough.

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Anyway, I'd like to point out a little forewarning for the timeline in this one-shot collection. It's an alternate universe, in which Sakura actually saves Kakashi from dying at Pein's hands. The rest of this is mainly how I think the manga should have been developed. Sakura is 16-17, so you have been warned.

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is not mine. If it were, Itachi wouldn't have died so anticlimactically, and Sakura would be way more kickass that her chauvinist of a creator portrayed her to be.

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**Halcyon**

**Theme 1****: Meeting the Family**

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"A little to the left, Sakura."

"Let me stabilize the flow, and then I'll begin giving that liver a new chakra coat," the pink-haired medic answered easily to the instructions. "How's the seal holding up, Tsunade-shishou?"

"I'm still sore, but I'll manage it. It's a wonder I didn't fall into a damn coma."

Sakura nodded, frowning worriedly. Of course, the last Akatsuki invasion in Konoha was enough to snap everyone to attention. Pein ­– and his six bodies – wrecked the village into oblivion, leaving only a crater of outstanding proportions. Now it was the time to rebuild everything, and getting ready for the second round.

This was, of course, under the command of the new Hokage, none other than Hatake Kakashi.

Sakura didn't know if she should feel happy for her former sensei or sad, because her current one was now out of the office. But something told her that Tsunade had faith in Kakashi's judgment, so she didn't voice her thoughts.

Merely three days had passed since the humongous battle, and the wounded, civilian and ninja alike, were being tended by all people who had little medical knowledge, under Sakura's orders. Since Shizune was KIA, and Tsunade was down for the count, she was the only one that could put some semblance of order in the medical tent, while people worked to reorganize – and reconstruct – their beloved Hidden Village.

Apparently, there had been a jounin meeting, in which they had reached the unanimous decision to rebuild the hospital before everything else. She was grateful for their thoughtfulness, given the massive amount of people that needed treatment.

Finishing the healing she was performing on her shishou's liver – one of her most damaged organs, due to obvious reasons – she was the only one that had managed to help the Godaime Hokage overcome her exhaustion, avoiding a coma that would have surely killed the blonde – Sakura used her forearm to wipe the sweat from her forehead, grateful that her shishou's body was taking her chakra so well.

Of course, she had practiced some healing on Tsunade back in her apprenticeship period, but this was entirely different. The blonde, currently weak ex-Hokage was wholly in her hands, so no mistakes were allowed.

It was one thing to heal Kankurou from some poison, no matter how carefully constructed it had been, she thought, but another one was to stabilize her surrogate mother from chakra depletion. Of both ailments, chakra depletion was the most dangerous, for it could affect the main organs and provoke an absolute shut down in less than thirty seconds.

Sakura shook her head. There wasn't time to fret over what could have been.

"I'm going to check on some other patients, shishou. Want me to get you something else?"

Sharp, amber eyes opened to stare at her apprentice. "No, Sakura," she rasped, her voice completely changed due to her now obvious aging state. "I think I'll take a nap. Would you go check on that brat Hatake? I want to talk to him ASAP."

"Hai, Tsunade-shishou, I'll tell him," she nodded, walking to the door soundlessly. It was painful, to see such a beautiful, powerful kunoichi like the Sannin Slug Princess so frail, so old...so completely vulnerable.

"I think I never told you..." wrinkled, chaffed lips moved, curving slowly in a little wistful smile. "When I was your age...sixteen, isn't it? Yeah. I returned from a mission with Jiraiya and Orochimaru when our sensei asked me to heal this guy. I had never seen him, but I had heard from him. He was one of the elite, during that time. His name was Hatake Sakumo, Kakashi's father. I was so angry, because the stupid man always tried to be a smartass with me and always neglected healing sessions. In the end, I punted him out of the hospital window."

"Shishou!" Sakura laughed, a little alarmed that she had been so careless with a patient, even if he had been quite obnoxious. "How could you do that?!"

"Bah, he deserved it, that baka. Word has it that he despised hospitals, but then he met a friend of mine...another medic-nin, you see. It was love at the first smack, like Jiraiya always liked to tease them. Sakumo was quite an ass with her, but then she slapped him..." she snorted, "Sakumo was so stunned that she got the chance to give him the vaccinations he needed. A few days later, they were seen in a café by my own sensei. We laughed at this for weeks."

"That's a nice story," Sakura said politely, as she washed her hands. "Who would have thought that Konoha's White Fang was such an ass, eh?"

"You have no idea," Tsunade laughed. "I laughed in his face when he regained consciousness, when his dear Hana told him she was pregnant. He fainted, can you believe it? One of the great shinobi of the Land of Fire, fainting like a girl because he was told he was going to be a father."

This time, Sakura laughed with her shishou heartily. During her recovery, Tsunade had been relaxed enough to share little snippets of her past with her pupil, something that Sakura secretly loved. It was like sharing confidences with her mother, and this was so precious for the pink-haired young woman that she always indulged her master when she was in the mood for a trip down memory lane.

"You know, Sakura...I always saw Shizune as my little sister, but she was Dan's niece, you see. You, on the other hand...I've always felt as if you were _my_ _own_ daughter. I got the chance to see you grow up and stronger. It was such a blessing to see you taking the reins of your life and mature so beautifully. I'm so proud of you, Sakura, remember this always."

Her hands trembled with emotion. "Why are you telling me this, shishou?"

A raspy chuckle was heard then, and a blanket-covered shoulder shrugged. "No reason. I just wanted to tell you how much you mean to me...and not just because you're holding the stethoscope for me, you know. Think of it as an old hag's rambling, eh? No big deal."

"Hai. I'll be going then," Sakura answered and closed the door softly.

Tsunade didn't need to listen closely to know that she had made her student cry.

Maybe this was good for her, she thought. This was what she needed to finally understand her place in the world. Sakura had been way too coddled, even in her line of work, to finally have her eyes opened with such a horrendous occasion. But she had risen so incredibly to the challenge, saving a great deal of the villagers by punching that gigantic summoned creature so easily.

She simply wasn't made to be on the sidelines, and Tsunade had made sure she wasn't learning to be a meek kunoichi. She knew Sakura was made for something else; something greater than to be in the shadow of her teammates, or the princess that waited for her dark knight to return to her. The blonde Sannin was aware of Sakura's waning love for the Uchiha, and had encouraged her to be more assertive, more open...everything that she, Tsunade, wanted her to achieve. The pink Blossom wasn't made to remain unmoving while everyone battled around her. She had enough spunk in herself to be at the front lines.

It was something she was going to make Sakura see, even if it was the last thing she did, Tsunade decided. Her eyes closed, restful slumber coming to her, as a random thought passed her mind.

Maybe she should ask her to keep an eye on the silver-haired brat that took up her mantle. That should give Sakura something else to do, beside her hospital work.

-X-

After washing her face and making her rounds, Sakura feet directed her to the upper floor, where a ward had been transformed into a bunch of makeshift offices. One for the current Hokage, another one for Ibiki – who was a bit put out for the lack of orders from her new superior – a big conference room for the jounin and a tiny space for her, since she was in charge of overseeing all the procedures at the hospital.

She only had a little desk, swamped with medical folders and healing technique scrolls, a hard, wooden chair, and a beaten up archive. It was a good thing she didn't receive visitors, because she didn't have any more chairs.

Tossing Tsunade's medical folder on her desk, she let out a sigh. She was tired, but she didn't have the time to rest. She had patients to see...and a message to her new Hokage.

She wasn't sure if he even was in his office; most probably, was helping someone outside, but she couldn't tell. At least, she could try. She owed her shishou as much.

Placing tentative steps in the hallway, she found herself at Kakashi's office soon enough. Feeling a presence inside, she knocked softly on the door, listening for any sound of acknowledgment. She frowned when she didn't hear anything, so she opened the door, finding the silver-haired man sitting in the windowsill, his head in his hands.

He had no hitai-ate on, thus his unruly silver hair dropped all over his face, obscuring half of it. But she knew he hadn't forgone his mask, even if he had shed the jounin vest and the headband, he wouldn't take off that scrap of cotton.

He looked exhausted...and defeated.

"Kakashi-sensei," she whispered. She knew he had felt her even before she decided to step out of her office to go to his. "Are you alright?"

He let out a loud sigh. "I'm fine; I just...need some rest."

It was an admission of his part that she'd never thought she would hear. The Copy Ninja was strong, and he never said something that would demean that façade. The battle with the Akatsuki Leader had been tiring and gruesome, she knew, for she felt his life slipping from her fingers as she frantically poured half her chakra reserves into his body.

"Is your eye bothering you?" she asked in a murmur, a little uncomfortable with his sudden frank admission. "I could...soothe it, like I did when..."

When he raised his head, Sakura inhaled sharply. He had dark circles under his eyes, and while his Sharingan was closed, she could see it was swollen and sore. Kakashi's entire countenance screamed fatigue and a little bit of despair.

"Kaka-sen–Hokage-sama," she whispered, suddenly remembering his new position now. She squeaked when his eyes narrowed in displeasure at her.

"Don't call me that," he ordered sharply. "Not you, Sakura. Call me however you want except that."

She flushed in embarrassment. "I'm...sorry...I just..."

He sighed again. "I apologize, Sakura. I think I've been cooped in this office for far too long," nodding, he scratched the back of his head. "Did you need me for something?"

"Uhm...I...shishou wanted me to tell you that she wanted to talk to you...but she's taking a nap now," she hesitated, furrowing her brows in concern. "Are you sure you're okay? I could–"

"You won't give it a rest until you've examined me, right?" he cut her off smoothly. "Go ahead, knock yourself out."

She drew a deep breath, relieved that he hadn't refused her help. She approached dutifully, gathering what little chakra she had left in her right hand. "I'll just...do a quick scan and then numb the optical nerves, if that's...okay with you."

"No problem," he murmured lazily, sighing as her energy entered his body. "Thank you, Sakura."

"It's nothing," she responded automatically. "It seems you have gathered a lot of chakra here," she reported. "It would be better if you use it or it will give you a migraine. I'll have to look for some way to drain it without having you fall comatose, but that might take a while..."

"Yeah," he grunted, inwardly relieved thanks to her miraculous, soft energy. "I know."

"Kaka-sensei..." Sakura trailed off, worried by his haggard appearance. "You need to rest. Maybe I can arrange a bed for you here, we just need–"

"I don't think–"

"Please," she pleaded, dropping her hand from his eye. "I know...this is hard, and I'm...you know, I want to help you. I mean, you're the Hokage now, and you...well, I think you need some assistance, and since I've...I've..."

"I know, Sakura," he murmured. "I just need a little time to adjust. It's not every day I'm promoted to our highest rank, you know."

He started to stand up, but his hands gripped the windowsill tightly. This didn't escape Sakura's watchful gaze. "Come on, let's find you a bed," she commanded, using that tone she employed with her patients. "You need to get plenty of rest."

"I don't have time for rest," he protested, but she had already helped him stand, using her body as a crutch for him. "The village–"

"Konoha needs rebuilding, yes," she interrupted him, "but how can we rebuild if our leader keels over? Come on. I'll be your crutch whenever you need me, Hokage-sama."

"I told you not to call me that."

"I'll stop calling you that if you listen to me," she retorted, as she opened the door of his office. "Deal?"

She smiled tiredly, and then he noticed how hollow and red her eyes looked. She must have been crying, and wondered what had upset her. It has been quite a while since he saw her like this, Kakashi realized with a little pang of guilt.

"Deal," he answered, his eyes crinkling in that masked smile he always showed, and she felt a little of weight pressing her chest lifting away.

-

_- Tenna' ento lye omenta -_

-XxX-

**AN:** First one! Let's see how you guys receive this one. I have all themes planned out, so I figure I'll be writing and posting them soon enough. Regarding Danzou and his cunning usurpation of Kakashi's position, eh, NO. That won't happen here. I want to focus on Konoha's rebuilding and Kakashi's new role as a leader. I won't be adding the Kage summit either. Maybe I'll cook something nice enough to replace it later. For now, I just wanted to write Hokage!Kakashi...and some KakaSaku. :P

As usual, many thanks and love to MelissaRose85 for her wonderful betaing work, and to you guys for reading. 8D


	2. Theme 15

Alright, second round. Don't fail me, Kakashi characterization! D:

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**Halcyon**

**Theme 15: Supporting the Other**

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"...And the blueprints are still missing, so you—Sakura, are you listening to me?"

Said medic blinked back to reality. "Yeah, I'm listening. The blueprints are still missing."

"I thought for a moment you were sleeping on the job," Kakashi said cheekily. "I'd hate to have to scold you my first week as Hokage."

The Copy Ninja smirked under his mask when a pair of wide awake – and annoyed – green eyes glared at him. "I'm fine. Where are those blasted blueprints?"

"The electrical plant ones? Most probably under all the rubble," he shrugged. "We'll have to keep digging to find everything we need. And to recover more bodies, it seems."

Sakura sighed and rubbed her hand tiredly over her face. "I think I've seen enough death to last me the rest of my life," she grumbled, for once not caring she was next to the current ruling Kage. "When do you think we'd have time to mourn our losses? It feels so bizarre to bury them without a passing word."

"We'll hold a grand memorial day for them, I promise," he said softly. "For now I think it would be good if you go over the blueprints we recovered from the Tower's site. It's a general print of the village layout. Do you think you can distribute our forces equally? Ask Shikamaru to help you."

"Yeah, his brain can be useful in this project," she nodded. "Anything else, Hokage-sama?"

The silver-haired man groaned and directed his dark grey eye to the smirking young woman. "I'm going to give you a few graveyard shifts if you keep pulling that."

"Hai, I'll be going now," she answered easily. "Just keep in mind that the scroll you're holding is not a kunai. It's actually the list of patients the hospital is treating, as you've asked."

"Oh, good. Nice work, Sakura."

She left the office shaking her head, wondering where the hell she could find Shikamaru.

-X-

She didn't have to look hard for the tactical genius, for he was sitting in a boulder next to his father just outside the hospital. Luckily, both Nara men were all willing to help her with the logistics. Soon, they had everyone working in all the areas needed: a team was still clearing out the rubble, another one was cutting a few trees to prepare boards, while Yamato used his special jutsu to recreate a long line of wooden houses, much to the civilians' relieved, vocal joy. Another team was in charge of giving a proper burial to the myriad of bodies that were still appearing under all the chaotic disaster that was left of the village. Shikaku went to join the burial team, while Shikamaru stayed with Sakura, as they discussed the how to proceed afterwards.

"And I guess we could house another chunk of the villagers in the Academy," he was saying as he rearranged his leg encased in a cast on his seat, when Sakura suddenly frowned and looked around, seemingly searching for someone. "What's wrong?"

"Where is Naruto?" she asked. "I haven't seen him since he was released from the med-tent. And he's not helping here."

"I'm sure we'll find him later," Shikamaru said, bored. "This cast is such a drag."

"I know it's annoying, but I can't spend all my chakra mending your femur," she shot back as she looked again at the prints splayed over another rock. "Give it a rest for a while. We need copies of this to get another team lining the village layout. Hey, Sai!"

Said ink artist nodded when she explained what she wanted him to do. As his brush slid easily and expertly over the fourth copy of the print, he looked up when Sakura asked once more about Naruto's whereabouts.

"Last time I saw him, he was in the Academy," he relayed truthfully. "He didn't look good."

"I'm sure he didn't," she said with concern. "Stay with Shika for a moment, Sai. I'll go look for him. And don't let him walk around with that cast!"

"Tch, woman, you're so troublesome," she heard the Nara grumbling.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm _annoying_," Sakura answered in a self-deprecating tone, walking towards the half-askew building she formerly knew as the Ninja Academy without looking back to see how Shikamaru had reacted to her words.

Naruto wasn't in the Academy. Nor in the Cemetery, or the area where the Hokage Tower was. She found Yamato, Iruka, and Genma though, as they helped a group of people to erect a new Tower, which was going to be the ground zero for their logistics and command headquarters. Kakashi was there, waving lazily at her as he leaned and heaved up a heavy-looking piece of wood.

Everyone was helping...so where was Naruto?

Her eyes soon noticed a line of grey smoke that cut the blue in the sky. Quickly locating the spot, her feet took her to the immense crater left by Pein's Shinra Tensei, discovering something she really wasn't expecting.

Naruto was sitting in front of a large pyre, which contained the easily recognizable cloaked bodies that belonged to the Akatsuki Leader. It seemed as if there were only five bodies though.

Sakura knew that the real Pein, a man named Nagato, was maneuvering these bodies from a secluded location while they wreaked havoc in Konoha. Naruto had told her as much, as they prepared Shizune's and Papa Frog's bodies for burial.

However, she knew there were six bodies, not five.

Sliding down the crater, she walked up to her blond friend and sat next to him. He didn't acknowledge her presence in the least.

"Naruto," she called softly. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, Sakura-chan," he responded after a long silent moment. "I figured I owed Nagato this much."

Her brows drew in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I...talked to him. He was so thin and tired, with almost no chakra," he related, his azure eyes fixed on the pyre. "He was so stubborn, wanting to kill everyone to make a difference. He said he was going to organize the world and to finish with all the wars."

"By making the countries fall into chaos first?" Sakura asked in disbelief. "That's insane!"

"Yeah, that's what I told him," Naruto shook his head sadly. "But he was determined to fight me; even if he couldn't move from that thing that kept him up, even if he knew he wasn't going to win...he wanted to fight me."

"Naruto..."

"I told him about the Ero-sennin, yanno," he kept talking, not noticing that Kakashi and Sai had wandered over to the edge of the crater and were observing the scene. "I told him about this book he wrote. Nagato was the hero in that book. He never knew how much Ero-sennin wanted him to share his opinion....but he wanted to inflict as much pain as he got. He died peacefully, and Konan – the woman that was with him – took his body with her...and the other body, too. He was their friend."

"...I...can't really blame him for that," she murmured, now knowing what the Akatsuki Leader had meant by dealing a painful retribution. "We know...about that feeling, about wanting revenge," her eyes met Naruto's, and he nodded in understanding. "Now we understand why...why Sasuke-kun was so adamant in getting his revenge."

"I do understand, and that's what confuses the hell outta me, Sakura-chan," he confessed, frowning at the pyre. "It's...I mean, if he killed Itachi, why he wouldn't want to come back? We're his family! And now he has a _new team_?"

Sakura knew how her friend felt. Betrayed, disappointed, and cheated even.

"Maybe he thought we weren't enough," she finally dared to voice her most secret thoughts. "Maybe he thought we didn't have enough backbone to help him with his revenge. Maybe he thinks we're still weak," she added bitterly, making Naruto look at her with worry.

"Sakura-chan, you're strong –"

"Maybe _now_ I am," she cut him off with a shake of her head. "But I wasn't before, and now I'm...I'm in charge of so many lives, and shishou looks so fragile, and this is so horrible, Naruto..." her eyes filled with tears, "and I can only think that maybe...maybe Sasuke-kun will come here, as an enemy, and we're gonna have to fight him..."

"I don't want to fight him," Naruto blurted out, making her gasp. "I just want him to come back home. But if...if he's a threat for us...for the people we have left...then I will protect them. I can't...I've been thinking about all this...Nagato gave me so much to think about, and I don't want to! I don't want to kill my best friend!"

"Naruto!" she exclaimed, surprised. It was the first time she had heard such words coming from her friend's mouth, and she realized that this had been what he had been mulling so hard since he returned from his fight with the Akatsuki Leader.

"I don't want to kill him...but if I have to...I will."

"Oh, Naruto, you don't mean that," she said, now crying in earnest. "Sasuke-kun is –"

"Can you forgive me, Sakura-chan?" he interrupted her, looking more frazzled and desperate than ever. "I...have to confess that...I really think I can't fulfill my promise..." he trailed off. "I realize now how hard is to be a ninja. To take another's life...without even thinking if that person has a family, friends...this is...and Sasuke really didn't want to be saved, right? He just wanted to do things his way. And we were in his way. _I_ was in his way."

"You have more things to think about now," she tried desperately to steer him off this painful topic. "You have the people's acknowledgment now. You're our hero, Naruto, and no matter what, we'll stand by you. All of us, Neji-san, Lee-san, Hinata-chan...even Kakashi-sensei! You know he's just warming your chair for when you're ready to be Hokage."

The blond young man let out a wet laugh. "Yeah, I bet he's getting a kick out of ordering people around," he snickered, his eyes still moist. "I...I'm sorry, Sakura-chan. I'm really sorry."

"Don't be--Naruto!!" she exclaimed as she watched her friend kneeling and bowing humbly to her. "What are you doing?!"

"I want your forgiveness!" he shouted. "I can't...bring him back...I just can't..."

"Stop it!" she cried, "You haven't done anything wrong!"

"But my promise –"

"Listen, baka!" she yelled at him, at her wits' end. "I'd rather for you to be safe than to be running around and get hurt trying to get him back! He doesn't want to come back, and I don't care anymore!" she hauled him up as she stood up. "Look around you, Naruto! We have to rebuild our home! I don't want to look for him anymore when I see this! I..."

She fell silent when she raised her head and noticed a group of four people standing at the other side of the gigantic crater. A silver-haired guy; a tall, orange-haired man and a redheaded woman with glasses...and the one they were just talking about.

The entire group was wearing Akatsuki cloaks.

"Sasuke..." Naruto whispered, not believing his eyes.

"Naruto, Sakura," he greeted tonelessly, as he watched impassively how Kakashi and Sai joined the other two with a couple of leaps, ready for battle.

"Uchiha Sasuke!" the pink-haired kunoichi hissed, clenching her fists in anger. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

-

_- Tenna' ento lye omenta -_

-XxX-

**AN:** Ahahaha. The shit is about to hit the fan, as if they hadn't enough with having their home in ruins. I gotta say, this is the scene that is missing in the manga in my opinion, not to have them running around like headless chickens because of that stupid Danzou. En fin. Not much KakaSaku interaction, but I'm just building the drama up, haha.

As usual, many thanks and love to MelissaRose85 for her wonderful betaing work, and to you guys for reading. 8D


	3. Theme 2

Ding dong, third round! Sorry for the wait! I completely forgot I had these already done and beta'ed.

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**Halcyon**

**Theme 2: Meeting an Ex**

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"Uchiha Sasuke!" the pink-haired kunoichi hissed, clenching her fists angrily. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

He didn't answer. Instead, he simply surveyed the vast expanse of disaster with an impassive face. The silver-haired man, however, whistled slowly, impressed, as he assessed the area as well.

"Man, Sasuke, are you sure this is Konoha? This is all rubble and...–"

"Shut up, Suigetsu!" the redheaded woman sneered. "Can't you recognize a battlefield when you see one?"

"Enough, guys," the tall guy made a placating wave with his hand. "Sasuke, what do we do?"

Said young man blinked slowly, addressing his former nakama at last. "It seems you have been busy."

The pink-haired medic sputtered in anger, and tried to step forward but she was being held back by Naruto, who was as upset as she was. "That's it?! That's your greeting after all these years? What the fuck are you doing here?!"

"I'm looking for the Elders," Sasuke replied readily. "I need to settle something with them."

"Like hell you will!" Naruto snarled, and was about to launch himself at his former friend when Kakashi clasped his shoulder in a firm grip.

"Unfortunately, the Elders didn't survive the attack," the Copy Ninja informed him in a bored tone. "I'm surprised, though. Didn't you know? I mean, seeing as it was one of your new nakama that attacked our village," he looked to a side and nodded to Yamato, who clasped his hands in his usual mokuton jutsu, ready for anything.

Sasuke fixed his eyes on his former sensei. "I am not with Akatsuki. I am merely using them to reach my goals."

"Then why the fuck are you wearing their cloaks?!" Naruto yelled. "I can't believe you! You are such a selfish bastard! I'm so gonna –"

"Enough, Naruto," Kakashi spoke calmly. "The Elders Koharu and Homura fell under the onslaught of Pein's attack on the village. They were advised to leave and take shelter, but unfortunately..." his uncovered eye crossed a glance with the former ROOT operative, Sai, "they were caught in the crossfire."

"What about Danzou?" the Uchiha queried in a flat tone.

"He was sheltered in a safe-house of his own people," Sai spoke next, his lips curving in that fake smile of his. "However, most of them were taken down by the Akatsuki Leader as he passed by, leading his companion to a secure spot."

What Sasuke and his group didn't know was that it had been Sai himself who had dealt with Danzou, taking the man down as he overheard him speaking with one of his henchmen of taking over Konoha's ruins, as he was devising a plan to rise as the new Kage by assassinating Tsunade.

That is, if she survived the battle.

It turned out that she did, ever the resilient kunoichi she was still after all her years, but Sai had changed after all he had been through as part of Naruto and Sakura's nakama. He simply knew how much they loved the Godaime Hokage, one as if he was her little brother, and the other one viewing the Sannin as her own surrogate mother, making him realize that he wasn't about to allow someone to cause them more pain.

Even if that meant going against the one he used to see as a protector and role model.

In the end, Danzou didn't realize how much Naruto, by extending his warm friendship to include the pale, lonely artist; and Sakura, with her patience and sometimes gentle disposition to teach him how to be a human being, had changed Sai and awoke in him the desire to be as lively, warm and authentic as they were.

That didn't stop the old war hawk from cursing Sai as he slipped away into death, but there wasn't any trauma and emotional pain that a good dose of Team Kakashi didn't cure.

The few that knew the drama that the ink master had endured during the battle were aware of all this, and encouraged him all the more to be part of the family they were. In return, he allowed himself to be mothered and bothered by the blond and the pinkette, experiencing then the true meaning of belonging to something.

Unfortunately for the Uchiha, he hadn't had the chance to experience such loving, thorough care. Sai did, and he found it in his heart, the feeling they were trying to teach in him. He vowed solemnly to be the third teammate, the one they could trust and rely on, by surpassing the one they were facing in this moment.

A few, long moments of silence ensued after Sai's words.

"What is Danzou's status?" Sasuke asked once more, this time in a demanding tone.

"He's _dead_."

Naruto's words rang clearly through the air, shocking a few people. But Team Kakashi knew what he was doing. By speaking up, he was shouldering the old man's demise, protecting Sai from the villagers or anyone that might have accused him of murder. He didn't care for that geezer, because he knew how much Sai had been manipulated by that wizened asshole, and because he knew from Sakura how much of a pain in the ass the guy had been while Tsunade ruled the village.

Not that the villagers were going to point fingers at the blond whatsoever, since the battle left a humongous chaos in its wake, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Besides, the Kyuubi jinchuuriki had the people's acknowledgment and acceptance, so it was a very intelligent move on his part.

It was then that Sakura straightened, shaking her head. She walked over to Kakashi silently, placing her body in front of him.

Then, she slipped on her usual battle stance.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, but Naruto was more vocal. "Sakura-chan?"

"Why are you..." Kakashi started, and trailed off when he felt her rage roiling around her.

"We need to protect our Hokage," she spoke simply, without turning her head. "From our enemies and..._traitors_."

"Ha-ha-haha!" a shrill voice cackled, filling the deep, tense silence with mocking laughs. It was the redheaded girl next to Sasuke, who raised her eyebrow at the female in front of the apparently new village leader. "What makes you think you'd be a challenge for any of us? Wake up, girl! This is the real world!"

Sakura smiled bitterly. "I _know_ this is the real world," she said, frowning her mouth with disappointment. "But I learned a few days ago that the real world I was living in was filled with lies, deceit, and treachery, even from the ones that were on our side."

Sasuke was fast in throwing a glance at his companion. "Not now, Karin."

"Then someone should put you out of your misery!"

Everything happened quickly. Karin slipped from her perch next to the Uchiha and ran with a psychotic grin towards the Konoha kunoichi, who narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists.

And then, without any warning, she stomped on the ground.

The massive chasm that was opened up under her sandaled foot widened under a wave of strong and loud tremors, which was enough to throw everybody off balance. Naruto, Kakashi, and Sai were quick in regaining their balance thanks to their daily interaction with the pissed-off pinkette, but many observers – including Sasuke's companions – bit the dust in a great display of surprised shouts and curses.

Of course, Karin was the first to fall, right in the middle of the gorge, with a staggered scream. She managed to jump out of it, retreating prudently after she looked at Sasuke and he shook his head slightly.

"Come on," Sakura taunted, angry beyond her limits. "Let me show you how weak we are, Uchiha, by punting you into next year!"

Predictably, the alluded young man didn't react to her words. He simply stared, a glint of newfound respect in his dark eyes. He had seen how little chakra Sakura had employed in her foot when she cracked the earth with just a stomp. He had also heard that she had been the first to defeat an Akatsuki member, one of the most vicious ones.

"Aren't you listening to me?" she yelled, and the observers could swear her eyes were spitting green fire, so mad she was. "If you're here to attack, you're going to pass through me first!"

"Sakura, this isn't the –" Yamato started to say, but she cut him off, sending him a glare that spoke volumes. In all truth, she didn't look like the cheerful Sakura they knew.

"This isn't the right time? Well, excuse me for doing my duty as a Konoha kunoichi," she raged, scowling darkly. "I'm not going to let Kaka--the Rokudaime get hurt by a missing-nin. Our villagers' safety comes first, and if this...this man wants to attack us, I'm going...I'm going...I'm going to attack back!"

"Stand down, Yamato," Kakashi said, wincing inwardly when he heard his new title from his former student. "Sakura is right. Our people need to be defended," looking up, he stared straight to the estranged Uchiha he thought once to be his legacy. "What do you wanted with the Elders, if I might ask? They never were your best friends."

Sasuke kept silent for a long moment, which made Sakura angrier.

"This is useless, Kaka-sensei," she snarled. "He won't tell us anything, because he never did!" Sakura clenched her fists and pointed boldly at the dark-haired nin. "You! You're not a Konoha ninja anymore! So get the hell out of our territory, now! We need to rebuild our home, a home we love and protect and die for, and you're not going to help us out, ever! Get out! Get out of Konoha! I'm tired of this!"

Kakashi sighed deeply and at last, moved.

He understood why Sakura had exploded like this. In fact, he had been expecting her to blow up earlier, which spoke of how much emotional strain and exhaustion she could take. It had been almost a week since the battle, and she still hadn't found her place. This he knew, because he could relate to that feeling of loss she, and all the people, was feeling. The insecurity and uselessness that could eat at one's soul after a humongous battle; the paranoia that could shatter anyone's confidence to pieces.

This battle was over, but the next one - when, where was it going to take place? How many more people were going to die the next time? And all the questions that all ninja had to ask themselves whenever they were picking up the pieces of their lives.

And the biggest question of all: What if they weren't strong enough the next time?

However, he had to admit she was made of such a steely fiber, he mused, as he raised his arms and grasped her shaking shoulders with warm, bare hands.

Sakura had proven herself over and over, first by going straight to Tsunade, asking for an apprenticeship. When she didn't flinch when he, Kakashi, dived straight to her in that second bell test, retaliating with a beautiful display of chakra-controlled destruction. When she beat all the odds with that old Suna Elder by beating down Akasuna no Sasori with all the power she had. When she intercepted that gigantic animal, Pein's summoning.

And of course, when she healed people that were untreatable with ease, such as the Kazekage's brother. He was thought as good as dead, and yet she took the time to identify and inoculate the poison Sasori had given him. She was brilliant and strong; resilient, much like the kunoichi her own mentor had been in her younger years.

"Enough, Sakura," he murmured, tightening his hold on her shoulders. "That's enough."

She lowered her head, still shaking. He knew she was crying, but these tears weren't brought by some shallow sadness. Her tears were filled with frustration and rage, emotions that were still present in his own chest when he looked up at the Uchiha he thought was worthy enough to receive his techniques.

Naruto had seen enough.

Taking two steps to the side, he blocked the view of the silver-haired Kage and the pink-haired medic to his former friend with his own body. Disappointment was obvious in his eyes; he didn't think Sakura would react like this.

But in a sense, it had been a good thing she did.

It would have been a shame if she didn't see the big picture relating Sasuke and his selfishness. Naruto had, thankfully not too late, so he was going to make a point now.

He took a battle stance, his hands shaking slightly.

"Sakura-chan is right. If you go away, fair enough, no one is stopping you; and no one will chase you around anymore. If you stay, you'll have to help. I seriously don't care anymore if you drop dead or not, Sasuke. I've had enough, too. This is all we can give back."

Sasuke nodded after a long moment. "There is nowhere I could go," he said tersely. "We will provide you with hands...and information," he added, opening the cloak he wore and letting it fall to the ground. "We have a common enemy now. And if you don't mind, I'd like to join forces with Konoha."

Sakura tensed under Kakashi's grasp when he looked up and accepted the Uchiha's proposal. She tried to slip away, but his hands didn't allow her to do so.

"Alright, Sasuke. It seems we need to sit down and talk."

-

_- Tenna' ento lye omenta -_

-XxX-

**AN:** Stupid Sasuke, really, he's a friggin' bitch to write! Maybe it is because of my animosity towards him, haha.

Of course, this is a KakaSaku collection. I really think that, after so many years, Sakura's feelings could have shifted to a frustrated bitterness towards Sasuke. I would, if I were in her sandals. Really, think about it. No matter how much love it's in the heart, when you see the one you love attacking you with the intent to kill some of those feelings have to die. Also, keep in mind that Sakura is under a lot of responsibility here just now, by taking charge of the medical teams and also by being the new Hokage's unofficial right hand. Naruto hadn't been much of a help until now, so the emotional strain have to make her explode sooner or later.

Again, much love to my dear beta MelissaRose85 for her thorough proofreading work, and thank you guys for reading! 8D More to come, soon. 8D


	4. Theme 8

Fufufufu! XD

-

**Halcyon**

**Theme 8: Sleeping Habits**

-

"She's in her office, Kakashi-sama," was the answer he got from the brunette when he asked Sakura's whereabouts.

"Stop calling me that," he said sharply, then sighed. "Alright, you can go back to your post, Izumo."

With a bow that had the Copy Ninja rolling his eyes inwardly –seriously, when are they going to learn that he didn't want all that reverence?– the chuunin left his makeshift office.

It was the fourth time in that exact number of days that his former student was found in her office, exhausted beyond her limits, eyes closed to the world as she attempted to keep up with the accumulating paperwork.

He had to give it to her; she was extremely efficient and more than irreplaceable when it came to this kind of task. Paperwork was such an abysmal task, he admitted, and only someone with an unhealthy dose of patience could handle the mountains of scrolls and medical folders that belonged, literally, to the entire village.

Tsunade was still recovering, so the task fell to her apprentice. He admired her perseverance and hard work; if he had to handle that amount of stuff he would have bailed out of his post faster than a Shunshin no jutsu.

But, turning back to the issue at hand...if Sakura kept sleeping in her office in such uncomfortable positions he was sure she would collapse sooner than he thought.

With another sigh, he slouched – damn, he was _so_ tired – out of his office to the one that belonged to the pink-haired medic. Opening the door silently, he noticed with a grimace how crammed her office was. In fact, it took him a few seconds longer to locate the frazzled pink head among the insane amount of papers and scrolls.

There she was, her face pressed into a scroll she was supposedly reading, with her arms practically dangling in front of her. What an uncomfortable way to fall asleep, he mused with a wince. Her neck would kill her when she woke up, that was for sure.

He didn't see another solution. Walking up to her, he pulled her back to the chair. She didn't wake up.

Her face was streaked with ink, and if he hadn't been so worried about her he would have laughed at the swirls and kanji that were plastered all over her skin. She was breathing deeply – most surely in the middle of her REM cycle.

Or maybe she was so damn exhausted she couldn't respond to his presence.

Kakashi frowned. This position wasn't good either. Remembering that he had a couch in his office, he decided that he might use some company this evening, even if the company was absolutely out cold.

Wrapping his arms around her lithe body, he lifted her up nice and smoothly. Her head lolled and rested on his chest, the warmth of her body enough to calm his heart down.

She wasn't feverish, and looked healthy enough, but tired.

As he walked back to his office, he realized something that made him stop in his tracks with his precious charge. Four days had passed since Sasuke decided to make a long stay in his former homeland. The same four days that Sakura hadn't set foot outside the building, preferring to send for stuff and people with Kotetsu. It was a strong probability that she didn't want to bump into the Uchiha, but after her emotional explosion, it was likely she didn't want to _see_ him.

His eye roved over her sleeping face. From his vantage point he noticed that her eyebrows needed a bit of a trim – women and their customs he couldn't even begin to understand – and her eyelashes were colored, dark pink, so dark that they could pass for red. Her nose was small but straight, surely her medical training could help her with anything harmful. And her lips were full, relaxed.

Her entire face was serene, even with those dark circles under her eyes.

And what was more, he could discern a glimpse – just barely but still noticeable – of that stubborn innocence that carried her through life, shielding her like an umbrella, protecting her from the evils of the world.

Kakashi smiled softly. This was the Sakura he knew, even if it was buried under tons of work, chakra healing and massive, destructive punches. The Sakura that could light up the entire village with her smile and the brightness in her eyes and brain. That Sakura wasn't there when he stopped by Tsunade's office when Naruto came back. Instead, he found a young woman, ready to take the world by the beard and kick its ass into oblivion.

He continued his walk back to the office, placing her slowly on the weathered couch. She breathed deeply, a little smile drawing in her face as she snuggled into the cushion.

Returning to his paperwork, he spared a glance to the sleeping kunoichi from time to time. Her breathing had evened, and there was a certain relaxation in her limbs and face that told him that, indeed, it had been a good idea to bring her here.

Trying to beat down that little voice in his head that told him that he had done it to indulge himself, not for her comfort, he forced himself to concentrate on the report he was reading.

-X-

She woke up six hours later, when the night was at its deepest black, the prelude of a new dawn. Her eyes opened after a yawn, noticing immediately that she wasn't in her office anymore.

Sakura sat up fast, ignoring the rush of blood to her head from switching positions so quickly. Craning her head – and noticing she was in Kakashi's office – she slumped on the couch, taking a deep breath.

"Did I scare you? Sorry."

She shook her head, noticing that her former sensei was wearing the same sleeveless shirt he had been using back then when she, Naruto, and Sai went to visit him at the hospital. He was sitting on the corner of his desk. "No...did you bring me here?"

Kakashi nodded, without taking his eye from the book he was reading. Strangely enough, it wasn't any of his usual Icha Icha books...

Come to think of it, Sakura hadn't seen him with one of those perverted books _since he became Hokage_.

"What are you reading?"

"A schoolbook," he answered. The response was so ridiculous that she snorted softly. "No, really. I wanted to refresh my memory about the Hokage's life, and there's nothing more thorough than a History of Konoha schoolbook."

"Right," she said, stretching her neck and massaging a few kinks on it. "Why did you bring me here?"

A dark grey eye slid up to stare at her. "I thought you might be more comfortable there than in that chair you have."

"You didn't need –" she started to protest, when she suddenly understood.

It wasn't as if he thought her weak, but he was looking after her.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei."

"That's something curious," he mused thoughtfully. "I haven't been your sensei for years and yet you still call me as one."

"It's just a habit, I suppose," she shrugged, still a bit sleepy. However, that made her a little bold. "You can always sit here, that desk doesn't look comfortable either."

He showed her a little happy eye crease. "No, it's not. Mind if you scoot over?"

She did as he asked her, as he took his place on the couch next to her. The sofa was large enough – he might have dug it out of the rubble and kept it. There was an unoccupied seat left, keeping a respectable distance between the two ninja.

It was then when Sakura noticed his Sharingan eye swollen again.

"Again?" she asked. When he looked at her she pointed at his face. "It looks bad, you didn't follow my advice!"

"It's too late to go out and train in the middle of the rubble, don't you think?" he shot back easily. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

She tch'ed and pointed to her own lap. "Lemme check it out."

A silver eyebrow raised in question and disbelief. "Sakura, I don't think –"

"Now, Hokage-sama, or I'll tell Shishou on you."

The Godaime Hokage was recovering well, but she kept instilling respect and fear thanks to the rather loud curses and threats that went by whenever she thought nothing was being done correctly. Sakura had been on the receiving end while she was treating her mentor; now, it was Kakashi who felt the righteous anger of his predecessor.

Maybe he should let her keep and manage his agenda, so keenly attentive and annoying Tsunade had been with the reconstruction progresses.

And now her apprentice, the mini-Tsunade, was threatening him just as good as her shishou had throughout the years of her ruling.

He knew when he was fighting a lost battle.

"Fine, fine..." he sighed deeply and went to lie down on the couch, his legs dangling over the armrest of his side, as his head placed itself on the medic's lap. He cleared his throat as he wiggled, getting comfortable while shooing those treacherous thoughts about how warm and soft felt this impromptu pillow.

Kakashi managed to lift the book but a white hand pushed it back on his chest.

"Let me check both of your eyes and I'll let you go back to your reading," she promised as she brushed his hair back with her other hand. The silver-haired Kage was suddenly thankful for his mask, because he could feel a little warmth creeping on his face due to the soft touch. "Just relax. I'll be done in a moment and you'll feel good."

Biting his lip, he kept the dirty response he was about to spout at bay, as her green chakra glowed over his eyes.

"Close your eyes," she prompted. "There's a little optical nerve that keeps flooding with your chakra, and this is what makes your eye all swollen and sore."

"Alright, do what you have to do," he said in a hum. "I trust your judgment."

With his eyes closed, he didn't notice how Sakura's cheeks flared red. It was very momentous for her, to have her former sensei saying that.

"I'm...going to-to repair it a little..." she stammered a little, fighting with herself in order to concentrate. It was a delicate task, so she needed to forget her embarrassment!

As she worked, her furious blush faded gradually. He was silent and still, his breathing even, relaxed and trusting. Nonetheless, she jumped a little when he spoke suddenly.

"I got the blueprints we needed."

"Oh...the ones from the electrical plants?"

He nodded, his eyes still closed. "We'll have our power back on in less than three days, give or take, and Sasuke said he was going to help me jumpstart the engines."

She made a noncommittal noise, which made Kakashi frown. "Sorry."

"Don't be," she muttered, then clearing her throat, she continued in a lighter tone. "Alright, now I have to flood the optical nerves with my chakra to draw yours out."

"What's your chakra element? I don't want you to get burned with mine."

"It's okay, medical chakra complies with any element," she explained softly. "Just relax and keep your eyes closed."

The silver-haired ninja relaxed as she poured her energy in his eye. It was a somewhat long process, but she had done it quite a lot, especially to patients that were being kept in a hospital ward due to grave injuries.

Soon, her chakra flickered out, leaving the office illuminated by just a candle on Kakashi's desk. He didn't move.

It was then when Sakura realized he had fallen asleep on her lap.

More momentous than his outspoken vow of trust, was to have him basically at her mercy while he slumbered. She knew for a fact that he never allowed anyone to be around as he slept; except for those times he was half-dead or too unconscious to help it. She remembered him putting up with watch shifts when she was a genin. She also recalled some times during that mission with Team Eight to retrieve Sasuke, which he only napped on a tree branch, kunai ready in his hand just in case.

It seemed that he needed as much rest as she had, Sakura concluded with a slight smile. Having him sleeping so close to her was something somewhat weird, but more because of his legendary aloofness than the fact that he had willingly done so. He usually complied when she demanded or requested something from him, which was something big in her book.

Her eyes traced his partially concealed features, detailing the minute wrinkles he had on his eyes, most probably due to that little eye-creasing stunt he liked to pull to annoy people. Even his mask didn't conceal the sharp, straight nose, and his wild hair did nothing to hide the slanted, silver eyebrows, and the dark gray short eyelashes.

Once more, she tried to picture him without the mask. Maybe he had a tan line, or maybe...

Sakura bit her lip, her hand hovered over his face as the temptation seized her. He was fast asleep, he wouldn't know...but she would know, and knowing how incredibly perceptive he was, it wouldn't take him too long to realize what she had done.

No, she couldn't. She wasn't going to break this hard-earned trust he had on her, just for a life-lasting curiosity.

She lowered her hand, placing it on the seat next to her. The slight motion made him move suddenly, making her understand how much of a light sleeper he was.

But the light murmur that came from his masked lips stilled her on her spot.

"Sakura..."

He...he was still asleep?

The pink-haired medic only could smile, as she reclined her head on the back cushion and relaxed as well. Maybe the candlelight was spurring her imagination.

-X-

However, something rang in the back of her head when she woke up, finding herself wrapped in a light blanket and shifted to lie comfortable in the sofa once more.

This time, she couldn't contain the light flush that covered her features when she remembered the messy silver hair, the closed eyes and the tranquil, peaceful masked face.

-

_- Tenna' ento lye omenta -_

-XxX-

**AN:** Fufufufu. Royal fluff! 8D

Once more, thanks to the awesome MelissaRose85 for her beta, and to you guys for reading.


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